A61K31/41—Heterocyclic compounds having nitrogen as a ring hetero atom, e.g. guanethidine, rifamycins having five-membered rings with two or more ring hetero atoms, at least one of which being nitrogen, e.g. tetrazole

A61K31/335—Heterocyclic compounds having oxygen as the only ring hetero atom, e.g. fungichromin

A61K31/35—Heterocyclic compounds having oxygen as the only ring hetero atom, e.g. fungichromin having six-membered rings with one oxygen as the only ring hetero atom

A61K31/352—Heterocyclic compounds having oxygen as the only ring hetero atom, e.g. fungichromin having six-membered rings with one oxygen as the only ring hetero atom condensed with carbocyclic rings, e.g. cannabinols, methantheline

A61K31/335—Heterocyclic compounds having oxygen as the only ring hetero atom, e.g. fungichromin

A61K31/35—Heterocyclic compounds having oxygen as the only ring hetero atom, e.g. fungichromin having six-membered rings with one oxygen as the only ring hetero atom

A61K31/352—Heterocyclic compounds having oxygen as the only ring hetero atom, e.g. fungichromin having six-membered rings with one oxygen as the only ring hetero atom condensed with carbocyclic rings, e.g. cannabinols, methantheline

A61K31/41—Heterocyclic compounds having nitrogen as a ring hetero atom, e.g. guanethidine, rifamycins having five-membered rings with two or more ring hetero atoms, at least one of which being nitrogen, e.g. tetrazole

A61K31/41—Heterocyclic compounds having nitrogen as a ring hetero atom, e.g. guanethidine, rifamycins having five-membered rings with two or more ring hetero atoms, at least one of which being nitrogen, e.g. tetrazole

Abstract

Pharmaceutical compositions for the topical administration, comprising as active ingredients proanthocyanidins alone or combined with glycyrrhetinic acid, telmesteine, alpha-bisabolol or other components having complementary activity, in admixture with a suitable carrier, useful for the treatment of avariety of pathologies such as atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, radiation dermatitis, psoriasis, xerosis and atopia as well as for the treatment of mucosae inflammatory conditions.

Description

TOPICAL PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING PROANTHOCYANIDINS FOR THE TREATMENT OF DERMATITIS

The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions for the topical administration comprising as active ingredients proanthocyanidins, glycyrrhetinic acid and telmesteine, in admixture with a suitable carrier.

The topical pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention are useful for the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the skin, such as atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, radiation dermatitis, psoriasis, xerosis and atopia as well as of mucosae and eye inflammatory conditions.

Dermatites are superficial skin inflammations, characterized by vesicles, erythema, edema, oozing, scaling or crusting lesions and intense itching. Various types of dermatitis exist: contact dermatitis, which can be caused by irritants with which the skin is in contact or by non-irritating substances to which the subject is allergic; atopic dermatitis, a chronic disease characterized by strong itching; seborrheic dermatitis, a scaling disease which mainly affect the face and scalp. In principle, the treatment consists in removing the offending agent, which however cannot in many cases be identified or removed. Treatment is therefore based on corticosteroids, which have however well known side-effects: they reduce the immune defenses, which can induce infections, mainly by fungi or Candida; suspension of the treatment should be gradual; they cannot be used during the acute oozing phase; a rebound effect may appear on stopping treatment. Furthermore, corticosteroids should not be used for prolonged treatments, particularly in children, since they can give rise to systemic effects.

In the case of seborrheic dermatitis, alternative treatments, based on hydrogenated vegetable oils or hydrophilic petrolatum, or medicated
shampoos (based on zinc-pirithione, selenium sulfϊde, sulfur and the like) in are not resolutive.

In case of the mucosae inflammatory conditions, in particular of mouth, gingival, rectal, vaginal and eye mucosae, a number of topical treatments are available, including the use of steroidal or non-steroidal antiinfiammatory agents, with the problems and side effects characteristics for these medicaments.

Different uses of proanthocyanidins have been described in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields. EP 0 694 305 discloses topical compositions of proanthocyanidins combined with coumarins (esculoside and the like) for the treatment of peripheral vasculopathies, such as bedsores, scars, couperose, varices and the like. US 5,470,874 describes a combination of proanthocyanidins and vitamin C for the topical use, as sunscreen, for stimulating collagen synthesis and for restoring damaged collagen. Finally, JP 6,336,421 relates to topical formulations of proanthocyanidins combined with anti-inflammatories, among which glycyrrhetinic acid and derivatives are cited, for the cosmetic use and against sunburns. However, to date the use of proanthocyanidins in the treatment of pathologies such as chronic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis and allergic dermatis has not been described.

Proanthocyanidins are widely diffused in a number of vegetable species. They are vegetable extracts containing bioflavonoids, with well-defined chemical profile, consisting for about 15% of dimers, about 20% of trimers and tetramers, and of small amounts of catechin and epicatechin. Proanthocyanidins exert both skin protecting action from the aggression by free radicals and restoration action of the damages to the skin structure through stimulation of collagen production. They also contain essential fatty acids similar to those of the skin hydrolipidic barrier, which contribute to keep said barrier intact. Finally, proanthocyanidins reduce the concentration of enzymes such as elastase, collagenase, hyaluronidase and beta-glucuronidase, which are
responsible for the destruction of elastin, collagen and hyaluronic acid proteins. Therefore, proanthocyanidins are widely used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, thanks to their restoring, regenerating, nutrient and restructurant actions, which restores the skin elasticity and tonicity. According to the present invention, the proanthocyanidins extracted from grape seeds and skin of Vitis vinifera are particularly preferred. Most preferred are the complexes of proanthocyanidins from Vitis vinifera with phospholipids, prepared according to the process disclosed in US 4,963,527.

18-β-Glycyrrhetinic acid, extracted from the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra, is known to have antiinflammatory properties on the skin, in particular in case of burns and redness.

In particular, karite butter (also known as shea butter) is a fat consisting of a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fats, extracted from the seeds of Butirospermum parkii, a tree from northern Africa, which is used in cosmetics thanks to its protective and softening actions, which make it particularly useful for sensitive skins as well as for skins which easily redden.

Oenothera oil (also known as evening primrose oil), extracted from the plant Oenothera biennis, is rich in essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular γ-linolenic acid, indispensable for regenerating the skin and all
cellular tissues.

According to a preferred embodiment, the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention will further contain compounds with antioxidizing activity, such as tocopherols and ascorbic acid or esters thereof, preferably tocopherol acetate and ascorbyl palmitate or tetrapalmitate, to further increase the protective effect on cell membranes and to slow down the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The compositions of the present invention may further contain other active ingredients, with complementary or anyway useful actions in the treatment of dermatosis .

Examples of said active ingredients are: salicylic acid, which exerts a keratolytic action useful for the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis; hyaluronic acid, which is useful for the treatment of radiation dermatitis due to its hydrating and healing action; alpha-bisabolol, one of the active principles present in chamomile essential oil (Matricaria flos), which has lenitive and anti-redness action; zinc pidolate, which exerts slightly astringent, emollient and lenitive actions, blocks and prevents the formation of free radicals thanks to its competitive action towards iron ions, and is active in the enzymatic processes of skin metabolism; allantoin which has astringent, slightly keratolytic and healing actions; moisturizers or wetting agents; piroctone olamine (octopirox), a known agent with antiseborrhoic activity. Therefore, a further preferred embodiment relates to the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention also containing salicylic acid, for the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis.

A further preferred embodiment relates to the pharmaceutical
compositions of the invention also containing hyaluronic acid, for the treatment of radiation dermatitis.

A further preferred embodiment relates to the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention also containing alpha-bisabolol and allantoin. A further preferred embodiment relates to the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention also containing zinc pidolate.

The topical pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention can be in the form of cream, gel, lotion, suspension, spray, ointment, foam.

The topical pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention will contain the active ingredients in the following concentrations (w/w): a) proanthocyanidins in the form of complexes with phospholipids: 0.01% to 1%; b) glycyrrhetinic acid: 0.1 to 5%, preferably 1 to 2%; c) telmesteine: 0.01% to 1%; and - carriers (squalene, karite butter, octyl palmitate and oenothera oil):

The daily dosage will be determined by the physician; by way of example, it will consist of one or more daily applications even for protracted times.

Some examples of formulations according to the present invention are shown hereinafter.
Example 1

CREAM

Example 2

CREAM

Example 3

CREAM

Example 4

CREAM

Example 5

CREAM

Example 6

CREAM

Example 7

CREAM

Example 8

CREAM

The compositions of the present invention showed very good tolerability. They do not contain allergenic substances, derivatives from animal sources (such as lanolin, beeswax, animal fat), preservatives (such as parabens, isothiazolones, phenol derivatives, and the like) which are often responsible for allergic contact dermatitis.

Therefore, thanks to the above mentioned characteristics, the compositions of the present invention are useful for the treatment of already existing skin allergic reactions, for the prevention of recurrent forms, and as adjuvants in the treatment of chronic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, radiation dermatitis, xerosis and atopia.

More particularly, the compositions of the present invention are useful in the treatment of conditions such as irritative and eczematous dermatitis, as moisturizers and lenitive agents for sensitive, delicate skin; in allergic irritations due to medicaments, detergents, solvents; in erythema due to excessive exposure to sun radiaitons; in case of insect stings, redness of various origin, post-shaving irritations, slight burns, skin hyper-reactivity; as normalizers after esthetic treatments, such as peeling with acid glycolic or laser-therapy. The excellent tolerability of the compositions of the present invention makes them also suitable in pediatrics.

The present invention also relates to the use of proanthocyanidins for the preparation of a topical medicament for the treatment of skin inflammations, in particular atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, radiation dermatitis, xerosis, psoriasis and atopia; and of mucosae inflammatory conditions, in particular of vaginal, rectal, eye gingival and buccal mucosae.

Claims

1. The use of proanthocyanidins for the preparation of a topical medicament for the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the skin and mucosae.

2. The use as claimed in claim 1 for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, radiation dermatitis, xerosis, psoriasis and atopia.

3. The use as claimed in claim 1 for the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the vaginal, rectal, buccal and eye mucosae.

4. The use as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, in which proanthocyanidins are in the form of complexes with phospholipids.

5. The use as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, in which proanthocyanidins are in combination with glycyrrhetinic acid.

6. The use as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, in which proanthocyanidins are further in combination with telmesteine.

7. The use as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, in which proanthocyanidins are further in combination with alpha-bisabolol.

8. The use as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, in which proanthocyanidins are further in combination with piroctone olamine.

9. The use as claimed in any one of claims 1-8, in which proanthocyanidins are further in combination with wetting agents and moisturizers.

10. Pharmaceutical compositions for the topical administration, comprising as active ingredients proanthocyanidins, glycyrrhetinic acid and telmesteine in admixture with a suitable carrier.

1 1. Pharmaceutical compositions as claimed in claim 10, in the form of cream, gel, lotion, suspension, spray, ointment, foam.

16. Pharmaceutical compositions as claimed in any one of claims 10-15, comprising salicylic acid.

17. Pharmaceutical compositions as claimed in any one of claims 10-16, comprising hyaluronic acid.

18. Pharmaceutical compositions as claimed in any one of claims 10-17, further comprising at least one compound selected from alpha-bisabolol, zinc pidolate, allantoin, piroctone olamine.

19. Pharmaceutical compositions as claimed in any one of claims 10-18, in which the active ingredients are present in the following concentrations: a) proanthocyanidins in the form of complexes with phospholipids: 0.01% to 1%; b) glycyrrhetinic acid: 0.1 to 5%; c) telmesteine: 0.01% to 1%.

20. Compositions as claimed in claim 19 in which glycyrrhetinic acid is present in concentrations ranging from 1 to 2%.

21. A method of treatment of patients affected with skin and mucosae inflammatory conditions, which comprises the topical administration of an effective amount of proanthocyanidins.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21 or 22 which further comprises the topical administration of telmesteine.

24. A method as claimed in claim 21, 22 or 23 which further comprises the topical administration of glycyrrhetinic acid.

25. A method as claimed in any one of the claims 21-24 which further comprises the topical administration of one or more agents selected from salicylic acid, allantoin, hyaluronic acid, zinc pidolate, alpha-bisabolol, piroctone olamine.